Monday, October 6th - wasn't that a party? NOT!!!

Conditions at 6:00 am - 12'
Expected later: a sunny 15' but a risk of frost tonight - time to pick those tomatoes!

Well, it was a productive weekend for some, not so much for others.
I worked on Saturday morning then went off to make several stops to pick up groceries needed for all our catering jobs that are coming up. I got home just in time to wolf down a sample pulled pork sandwich (which was mighty delicious) then head out to the Rec Centre. It was a longish night, not finishing up the dishes till slightly after 10:00 so I headed home instead of sticking around for a drink. When I arrived at the house, Lloyd was just finished grinding approximately 40 pounds of pork and beef for the chili. I helped
out by starting in on the dishes while he put the meat away. Once that was done, we took the garbage outside and put the meat in the fridge in the garage. It was a lovely night so we decided to finish off with a drink up on the balcony of the craft studio. I decided I'd try a small amount of the stuff that Lloyd and Bernie drink all the time - frozen Jack Daniel's Honey, over ice. It went down very smoothly and it was wonderful to be able to sit out there, and actually have a lengthy conversation - something we haven't been able to do in a very long time. Those new hearing aids are making SUCH a tremendous difference to his quality of life. One drink led to another, (and now I remember why I am usually very careful about not over-consuming) then the candles came out and the music was turned on and before we knew it, it was after 1:00 in the morning. I knew when I came into the house that things were not good. I finally got myself upstairs and into bed but it wasn't a pleasant night.

The next day was even less so. Unfortunately when I suffer a severe hangover, it's my stomach that takes a beating, more so than my head. I spent pretty much all day Sunday feeling extremely nauseous and very poorly. Needless to say I wasn't a lot of help. But thanks to Lloyd, who did pretty much everything, we now have 150 servings of delicious meaty chili in the fridge. Okay, I helped a little,  not a great deal, but I guess I was helpful when it was most needed. Tonight we'll package it all up in ziploc bags and put it in the freezer till needed. We test froze a sample and it was just fine. It's very tasty but we did dial back the heat just a little. Served with some sour cream and grated cheddar, it will be a winner, I'm sure.

I finally felt good enough to attend a meeting on Sunday evening with one of the firefighters who's on the committee, to sort out some last minute details. It's all shaping up to be a manageable event, we think.

This morning is much better, and I'm actually eating something so that's a good sign. A lesson well learned - stay away from that stuff!

While looking for a photo of a bottle of Honey Jack, as it's affectionately called in these parts, I came across this recipe - looks good and a much more civilized way to consume this product.

Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey Cupcakes with a Bourbon Drizzle

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: One dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
• 3 Tbsp Milk
• Cupcake liners
For the Bourbon Drizzle:
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the Buttercream Frosting:
• 1 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (as much as needed to get correct consistency)

Preparation

To Make the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix just to incorporate.
4. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the wet mixture and beat until just combined.
5. Add the whiskey and milk until just combined.
6. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners and divide batter evenly into cups; approximately 2/3 full for each cup.
7. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes; test with a toothpick; the top will be firm so make sure the inside is cooked through.
8. Cool completely on a wire cake cooling rack before frosting.
To Make the Bourbon Drizzle:
9. Add all ingredients together in a small pan, bring to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before drizzling on cupcakes.
To Make the Buttercream Frosting:
10. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar.
11. Add the vanilla and Jack Daniels Honey and combine thoroughly.
12. Add the cream a Tbsp at a time until your frosting is very light and fluffy and the correct consistency.
13. Using a large serrated icing tip, pipe the frosting onto cupcakes.
14. Garnish with the Bourbon Drizzle.
CHEERS!!